A Trip to the Museum
by ricaruns
Summary: Megan Strauss wanted her step-father Dave Rossi to take her to the museum to see the Degas exhibit. Instead of going to the museum, Megan learns important lessons about love and family.


Author's note: I, of course don't own Criminal Minds. Same universe as 'Unknown Past', but can be read separately. Rossi and Strauss and married, and have custody of Strauss' children from her first marriage. This story was inspired by the Edmund Degas exhibit being at the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) in late 2002-early 2003. I actually have no idea if there is a Degas exhibit at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

Megan Strauss rarely paid attention to what was outside the car window as she was driven home from school by Kelly's mom, but something caught her attention. There was a billboard advertising the Edmund Degas exhibit at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts starting next month. Megan would love to see it, and she wondered if Dave would take her to go see the exhibit. She knew that Dave was not found of museums, but she also knew that Dave would do things she enjoyed to spend time with her. Dave made an effort to spend time with her mother, her sister and her brother because he wanted to remind all of them that they were important and worthy of love. And in return, Megan, her brother, her sister and mother did everything they could to show Dave how much they love him and appreciated him. Dave treated her mother the way she deserved to be treated, and clearly loved her mother far more than father ever would or could. Dave was also a far better father than their biological father.

Megan and her siblings discovered her good of a father Dave was, within weeks of Dave and their mother beginning to date. Dave wanted to meet the three of them and spend time with them. After their mother had determined that her relationship with Dave wasn't a fling, Dave took the three of them out for ice cream. While out for ice cream, Dave asked about school, their friends and what they did for fun. Their mother even said that Dave asked about them when he returned from a case in Denver, Colorado. Previously to returning from Colorado, Dave hadn't seen Erin or the children in weeks. Megan thought Dave was like her biological father, that he didn't want to see them or spend time with them anymore. Erin reassured her children that Dave wanted to see them, but for the last few weeks that had gone on cases, came back to Quantico for sometimes less than a day before another case required them to go on the road. Erin figured out that Dave had spent less than a week at his home. Erin told her children that Dave had wanted to contact them, but was unsure if that would have been appreciated. The children assured their mother that they would have liked to hear from Dave; so from then on, Dave would text, email or call Erin, Jessica, Chris and Megan a few times during the case depending on the how long he was gone and how intense the case was.

Thinking about how much effort Dave put into the relationship with her mother, her and her siblings made Megan feel safe, and also made her feel like she could ask Dave anything. Megan made sure to note when the Degas exhibit was at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, making sure there was enough time between now and when the Degas exhibit started, so Dave had enough time to ask for a day off.

Luckily for the Strauss/Rossi household, the BAU Alpha team had a paperwork week, so everyone was able to get home at a reasonable time, and therefore they were able to see their families for more than a second; Megan thought her step-father might be more inclined to agree to a museum trip if he was in a joking and jovial mood. Megan came home to an empty house, which wasn't surprising given that her parents were at work, and Chris was at baseball practice but Mudgie has happy to see her.

"Hi, Mudgie, were you a good boy? I bet you need to go outside. Come on silly dog."

Mudgie gladly followed his newish young mistress; she was almost good at giving belly rubs as 'Daddy'. After doing his business, Mudgie laid down next to Megan while she did her homework at the kitchen table.

Dave was excited to come home at a reasonable time, and he was excited to come home to people he loved. "Hey, anyone home?"

"Mudgie and I are in the kitchen, Dad."

Dave walked into the kitchen and saw his youngest daughter sitting at the table while his loyal dog kept Megan company.

"Hi sweetheart. How was school?" Dave asked as gave Megan a kiss on her head.

"It was good. We are talking about the Vietnam War in history. I didn't want to tell everyone that you served since that would start an argument, and I didn't want to deal with that. While we were talking, I thanked God that you came home relatively ok, so that you can be our dad, and mom's husband."

"I don't want you to be ashamed that I served in Vietnam."

"I'm not. I don't understand everything about Vietnam, but it was more about not dealing with Kelsey and thinking she is right all the time. I just want to go to class without Kelsey soapboxing about things she knows nothing about."

"That's understandable. Sometimes staying quiet is best; I still need to learn that."

"I'm sure mom would agree with that."

"I know she would, but she knew that when she married me."

"Haha, she did, Dad can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"On the way home, I saw a billboard for the Degas exhibit that is coming next month to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, and I was wondering if you would take me one day?"

"Sure, sweetheart. I just need to ask my boss if I can have a day off."

Erin comes in the door and asks "Why do you need to ask your boss for a day off?"

"Hello, my love. Our daughter wants me to take her to see the upcoming Degas exhibit at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, and in order to do so, I need a day off."

Erin came into the kitchen and gave Dave a kiss, and then headed over to the table and gave Megan a kiss. Erin didn't forget Mudgie, and gave him a scratch behind the ears.

"That should be fine. Just make sure you fill out the paperwork properly. I know you live David Rossi."

"Yes, m'am," Dave replied cheekily.

Erin looked at her daughter and asked "What are we going to with him?"

"Keep him, otherwise we won't have a dog, and he is funny."

"Valid points my dear."

"Well I guess Megan has ruled, you and your dog can stay."

"Thanks, Megan. Thanks, Erin."

"You know we love you, Dad."

"I know and I love you. Don't worry; I still very much love you, Erin."

"Good." Erin gives Dave another kiss, and heads upstairs to go change.

"Dad, would mom really hunt you down if you didn't fill out the day off paperwork correctly?"

"Yes she would. She rules the roost at work, and we have to leave our marriage at door. That was the only way we were allowed to be married since technically your mother's position is a higher position than mine. As much as I dislike leaving my marriage at the door, I would rather do that, than not being able to work your mother, and keep her safe. "

"Oh that makes sense. I don't think mom would like to work with anyone else besides you and your team. Your team looks after mom and treats her like family. I know some of the other teams at the FBI weren't always so nice to mom."

"That is correct, but the other teams at the FBI have learned not to mess with my wife or anyone that Hotch cares about."

"Hotch can be nice and he can be rather scary. Actually same goes for you and Derek."

"Correct my dear. You don't get to Hotch's position without being tough and strictly business. Both Hotch and Derek had less than ideal upbringings, which has contributed to their toughness and protectiveness. I won't give you details, but just know that both of them had to be the 'man' of the house at an early age and looked after their younger siblings. Just know that every member of the BAU had something unpleasant in their past, but that made them the excellent FBI agents seeking to push the darkness from the lives of others."

"I would never expect you to tell me information that you felt uncomfortable telling me because someone told you the information in confidence. I did guess that everyone on your team had some kind of darkness in their past, since they spend their time hunting monsters. I'm just really glad that everyone comes home safe. And don't forget to fill out the paperwork, so Section Chief Strauss doesn't hunt you down."

"I won't. I don't want an unhappy Section Chief, unhappy wife and unhappy daughter going after me since I didn't fill out one piece of paper. I will be sure to put the exhibition on my calendar."

"You mean the calendar that Penny showed you how to use?"  
"Yes. Don't you have math homework to do?"

Megan sighed "Yes"

"Well you best get it done, so you and your mom can watch your chick show later tonight."

"Hush. You know you like it. Thank you for agreeing to take me to the museum, and for possibly enduring the wrath of Section Chief Strauss."

"Not a problem, you are definitely worth it, Megan."

Megan went back to doing her homework, with Mudgie by her side.

The End


End file.
